Superheater



July 14, 1931. H. J. KERR ET AL 1,814,707

SUPERHEATER Filed June 24, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig 'M ATTORNEY6 July 14, 1931. H. J. KERR ETAL SUPERHEATER F'i1ed June 24, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f I INVENTORS ATTORNEYS July 14, 1931. H. J. KERR ET AL 1,814,707

SUPERHEATER v Filed June 24, 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig/6.

Fig /3 fgfibw ill-1 3 w 4 HM MI W g INVENTORS MM/M ATTORNEYS Y I July 14, 1931. H. J'. KERR ET AL 1,814,707

SUPERHEATER Filed June 24, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 iii Patented July 14, 1931 N TE STATES rnrsnron; NEW YORK, AssIGnon-s To. THE nhnooox s; wILo'ox COMPANY,-OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, ncon-rona ron'or nzswannsnr r U QHEATER' Application filed June This invention relates .to superheaters in which the-distribution ofsteam or other fluid in the tubes connecting the superheaterheadk ers can be improvedso as to obtain jam-ore even distribution of the same, and will be understood from the description,.'in'.connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a. U-tube superheater embodying our invention and positioned in relation to a steam boiler, with the-superheater headersbroken away; Fig. 2 is a view ofthe superheater headers of Fig. 1, looking from the right of that figure and with the headers broken away to showlthe construction; Fig. 3 is a section through the header, partlylbroken away, showing one of theheaderdiap ragms; Fig. 4 is a section along the line l4 of 31; F ig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing another header diaphragm Fig. 6 is a section along the line 66 of Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 9 are views similar to Fig. 3'showing other header diaphragms; Figs. 8 and 10 are sec tions along the line 88 of Fig. 7 and 10--1O till 2 of Fig. 9, respectively Fig. 11 is a large-scale longitudinal section through the header; Fig. 12 is a sectionalong the line 1212 of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a longitudinalsection of one of the headers showing a modification of the invention; Fig. 145 is a section alongthe 1inej14.-14 of Fig. 18; Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are sectional views, partly brokenaway, showing some of the details ofone of the modifications, these figures being taken along the line 1515, 1616 and 1717, respectively, of

' Fig. 14; Fig. 18 is a section along the line 1818of Fig. 19 and Fig. 19 is a longitudinal section, partly broken away, showing some of the details of one ofthe modifications It has been found that, indevices having headers connected by tubes, in which the fluid is introduced into one end of the inlet header and passes from this-header through the tubes to the other header, and thence out of the op-' posite end of the outlet header, the variations in differences in static pressures at the opposite ends of the several tubes causemore of the fluid to pass through some of said tubes than through others. This has been foundto be especially true, for example, in steam suinvention,aamore even distribution of the.

fluid through the tubes connecting the head ers is obtained, This result is accompl shed by interposing' diaphragms or obstructions in the headers, which diap hra gms or'obstructionsincreas'e infsize away from the inlet end of the header or section from which the fluid enters the tubes, thus increasing the velocity of the fluid abovethat wh-ich'it would have if the diaphragnis .or obstructions were not present, thereby more nearly equalizing the differences in pressures between the ends of all the tubes connecting the headers. The arrangement described above results in the provision of abore extendinglengthwise offa' header andvarying in cross sectional area, so as to 'vary' the area: of the header througl which the steam passes and maintain the velocity of the steamsubstantially constant.

The invention will be specifically described inconnection with; a. steam superheater for boilers,'b'ut it is to be'understood thatit is not restricted. tothis particular use.

In the drawings,reference character 20 insuperheater may, for example, be located above the inclined tubes 23 of a water ,tube boiler, having headers 24 and 25 to which the tubes'23 are connected, as indicated in Fig. 1 .The'header 20 may be divided by meansof th'epa'rtition'26 (Fig. 2) intotwo sections, one of which, the inlet section,is about half as long as the other, and the header 21 may be similarly divided by means of the partition 27, with the outlet section about half as long as the other, these partitions being so spaced that steam willenter :the end of. the inlet header and pass through the first third (of. the tubes to the outlet header, thence longitudinally in this header. to thc second third of tubes, back to the inlet headerjthence"longitudinally in this header to the third group of tubes, and back into the outlet header and through the outlet to the mains, thus causing the steam to undergo three passes across the hot gases from the inlet to the outlet. It is obvious that in an ordinary superheater, the velocity of the entering'steam would be gradually decreased as a portion of the steam passes out through the tubes connecting the headers, as the volume of steam longitudinally of the inlet header becomes less and less toward the partition 26 and similar in the other sections of the headers from which the steam leaves. In order to prevent this decrease in the velocity of the steam in the headers, sets of obstructions 28, 29 and 30 are placed in the headers, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The obstructions are shown as gradually increasing in size in the direction of steam flow, and this is the usual arrangement, particularly when used in connection with a header of uniform cross-section such as shown, and from which extend tubes which are all of substantially equal diameter. By the use of these obstructions, it is possible to obtain substantially uniform velocity of the steam passing through the header, without restricting the flow area of the tubes connected to the header.

These obstructions may be made in'a variety of forms, some of which are illustrated the header.

in the other views. In Figs. 3 and 4 the widest obstructions are shown as being made up of three plates or diaphragms 31, 32 and 33 placed edge to edge and extending across The ends of these plates are rounded to fit the inside of the header and are bolted to the braces 34 by means of the bolts 35. The braces 34, have pins 36 extending through holes in the header, and are welded in place, as indicated at 37, so as to prevent the diaphragms from being forced longitudinally of the headers by the steam. The diaphragms are made in sections, so that they may be inserted through the handhole openings of the header.

In the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the diaphragm 38 is made in one piece, and is held in place by means of the brace 34 and pin 36. In the form shownin-Figs- 7 to 10, the diaphragms 39 and 40 are similarly held in place, but are made of decreasing sizes, the diaphragm 40 being intermediate in size between the diaphragms 38 and 39. Figs. 11 and 12 indicate how a form of diaphragm slightly different from that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, made up of plates 31, 32 and 33 is located in the header 20 and held in place by means of the braces 34 and pins 36.

Figs. 13 to 19 inclusive, being views of a modification, show the assembly of the diaphragms of progressively increasing size, the smallest size being near the inlet end of the header and the largest sizenear the other end of the same. The diaphragms may be assembled by passing rods 45 and 46 through holes in opposite ends of the same. The rods 45 may be made round in cross section, and the rods 46 square in cross section. These rods are made up of sections, each having a screwthreaded recess 47 at one end and a screwthreaded end 48 at the other end, with shoulders 49 at the end of the screw-threaded section. The sections of the rods are screwed together. with the screw-threaded portions extending through the holes in the diaphragms, and clamp the respective diaphragms between the end of one section and the shoulder 49 of the adjacent section, as most clearly shown in Fig. 19. The square rods 46 ma have set screws 50 extending therethroug which set screws can be screwed in so as to hold the rods and assembled diaphragms in placeinside the headers by friction. Stop lugs 50 (Fig. 15) may be used to keep the diaphragms in place. The handhole fitting of the usual type for the headers is shown at- 51. I

In Figs. 15, 16 and 17 are shown the side views of the diaphragms which gradually decrease in size toward the inlet end of the header. The diaphragms may be made up of a plurality of plates assembled to form a single diaphragm (as shown in Figs. 15 and 16) thus enabling the individual plates to be inserted through thehandholes, or the. smaller baffles may be made up of individual-plates (as shown in Fig. 17 In this modification the diaphragms may be assembled complete if the end of the header is open. If not, the diaphragms may be assembled piece by piece through the handholes.

In the operation of the device, steam enters the inlet end of the header 20 and as portions of the steam are withdrawn through the tubes nearest the inlet, the remaining steam passes around the edges of the successive diaphragms that are larger in area, thus in creasing the velocity of the steam and causing the same to distribute more evenly over the entire set of tubes between the headers. This effect can be obtained where the headers are divided up into sections by means of the partitions, or where the partitions are omitted.

The device described above results in a core disposed in a header and tapered from one end toward the other, being formed of varying cross sectional area, so as to vary the effective area of the header in which it is disposed, and thereby, vary the velocity of the We claim:

1. In a device of the character described, headers connected by tubes, means for introducing a fluid under pressure into one of said headers and into the tubes connected thereto and withdrawing it from the other ends of said tubes and from the other header, and a series of diaphragms located in the header to which the fluid is introduced and opposite the tubes into which the fluid enters, said diaphragms extending transversely of the header and increasing in size in the direction of the flow of fluid and the flow of fluid being unobstructed along the portion of the header wall in which said tubes are located.

2. In a device of the character described, a header of substantially uniform cross section and having an inlet for a fluid under pressure, a plurality of tubes extending transversely from said header and adapted to receive said fluid therefrom, and a core disposed in said header and increasing in size in the direction of flow of said fluid, the flow of fluid being unobstructed along the portion of he header wall in which said tubes are located.

3. In combination, a header adapted for the passage of fluid under pressure, a plurality of tubes extending transversely from said header, a plurality of compartments formed in said header and having free communication therebetween through openings of varying area, and means for introducing said fluid under pressure in one end of said header, the communicating openings between said chambers decreasing in size as their distance from the inlet increases and the flow of fluid being unobstructed along the portion of the header wall in which said tubes are located.

4. In a device of the character described, headers connected. by tubes, means for introducing fluid at one end of said tubes into one of said headers at one end of the tubes and withdrawing it at the other end of said tubes from the other header, and a series of diaphragms located in a header in the space opposite the ends of the tubes into which the fluid enters, said diaphragms extending transversely of the header and increasing in size in the direction of steam flow, hand holes in said header, each of said diaphragms being made of parts small enough to pass through said holes.

5. In a device of the character described, a header provided with a hand hole opening and with tube openings extending longitudinally thereof, a second header, tubes secured in said openings and connected to said second header, means for introducing fluid to one end of said header and withdrawing it from the opposite ends of said tubes, and a series of diaphragms extending transversely of the header to which the fluid is introduced and removably secured to said header, each of said diaphragms being formed of parts suf- 

